Asmodeus
Asmodeus lurks in the Ninth layer of the Nine Hells, Nessus. Little is known about him, and few but the Archdevils themselves can claim to have seen him. He does not show his power openly, but his reign absolute, his strength last proven when he overcame his subordinates in the Reckoning. His schemes last millennia and are beyond comprehension, as demonstrated through his tolerance of the Archdevils who betrayed him. History Much of the history of Asmodeus is gleamed from song, propaganda, and the divine insights granted by gods and darker powers. Witness to Downfall Asmodeus is not the creator of devils, and indeed devils cannot be spontaneously created, they must be formed from corrupted souls or greater entities. It stands to reason then that at some point the entities that were the original devils, were created by an entity or power, such as a god, and that that God has since ceased to have dominion over the Hells. It is believed by many, that during the Dawn War, a god drew forth a shard of evil, to forge a weapon to slay the primordials. Instead, this act killed the god, destroying them and corrupting their followers, angels of law and righteousness, the greatest of which was Asmodeus. With their creator dead, and this evil turning the once pure creatures to darker paths. These fiends, under the leadership of Asmodeus would become a separate faction in the Dawn War. It is believed that only Asmodeus knows the name of the god that he once served, with all other lieutenants of this forgotten god having been obliterated with their master. Some suspect this is why Asmodeus has no true form, for his physical body was destroyed with the others of his kind, only his soul clinging to reality as all others were torn asunder around him. Ascension During the Dawn War, Asmodeus created a hierarchy of the Hells, deciding who among his lieutenants would be assigned a layer for themselves. The Nine Hells would receive a tenth layer following the Dragon War, with Tiamat untethering the plane of Dragonmount from Tolas and tethering a fragment of her own realm, the Eyrie, to both both the Hells and Mortals Realms. Reckoning The Reckoning was a conflict between various Archdevils. Part civil war, part failed coup, the Reckoning decided the current hierarchy of the Nine Hells. Two factions of Archdevils emerged to challenge the rule of Asmodeus, the two sides fighting a civil war to see who would claim the dominion over all the layers. Asmodeus however outmaneuvered his would be successors, damning them lesser roles, destroying others, and keeping some in positions of power where he can keep a close eye on their activities. During what would have been the final battle between the two factions, each of the Archdevils' were betrayed by their pit fiend generals who were promised a position of power by Asmodeus. When the warhorns sounded, instead of a pitched battle, the Archdevils were left alone on the battlefield as their legions departed or were cut down by those loyal to Asmodeus. An avatar of the Lord of the Nine Hells appeared before them, some begging for forgiveness, others remaining defiant. Passing out judgement on the battlefield, the new order of the Hells was established, with Asmodeus still firmly at the top. Physical Description Asmodeus' true form is seldom seen, with only his trusted advisors and most important followers allowed to approach the fortress at the bottom of the pits devoid of all life in the deepest parts of Nessus. Some speculate that the entity is the very plane of Nessus itself, or is a swarm of bat like darkness that appears as the wind in the vacant landscape. The most popular depiction of the Lord of the Nine, comes from The Trial of Asmodeus, a popular play written by Impresario Bartolo in which Asmodeus is summoned to an astral court to be judged by other divine figures such as Bahamut and various angels. In this story, Asmodeus is the main character, and is depicted as a suave and sophisticated figure, tall and red skinned, with a pair of horns atop his head, not unlike most tieflings in the world. The tale ends with Asmodeus being allowed to walk free of any charges, though his innocence is not proclaimed, and he is bound to carry with him the Ruby Rod, which binds him to law, but also grants him the power to make contracts with mortal for their souls, a power it is said he has shared with all those under him. Tieflings For more on this, see here. Those mortalkind touched by the powers of Asmodeus are some of the most common in Tolas, for it is by his power that the magicks of contracts will take effect. It is he who claims the souls of the first born, though never directly, he simply takes what is his due by the efforts of lesser devils. Therefore, unless a tiefling, or their ancestor, made a specific pact with one of the other Archdevils, then it will be Asmodeus' blessing they will carry with them, red skinned with a command of fire and shadow, the core elements of the Nine Hells that shelters in their veins. Relationships with other Archdevils Asmodeus is the ruler of the Nine Hells and thus expects homage to be paid to him, in souls, artefacts, or agents. He understands that every devil in the Hells would love nothing more than to usurp him, though only the Archdevils have any hope of achieving this. Asmodeus uses this ambition, harnessing it to his own dark ends. Cult As stated, Asmodeus has no singular cult in Tolas, rather every fiend worshiping cult pays homage to him either directly or indirectly. Unlike the other Archdevils, Asmodeus has no one to answer to but himself, and all who serve the other denizens of the Hells also serve him. Therefore he does not need to spend time courting mortals, instead he spends his time drawing demigods and beings of similar power into his fold, such as Zariel, and if the rumours are true, Glasya. Nessus Nessus is devoid of all activity, with the arrival of any creature starkly contrasting with the silence that was complete before their arrival interrupted it. Asmodeus treasures his privacy, in his domain of rocky fissures and bleak pits with no markings or signs to point the way. Somewhere in this wasteland a fortress is said to exist where Asmodeus dwells, from where his messengers take flight to deliver their lord's will, or magicks that carry his very whispers wind their way through the Hells to find one of his minions on any plane.Category:The Nine Hells Category:Archdevils Category:Fiends